A jury in Idaho on Thursday found Chad Daybell guilty in the deaths of his first wife and his then-girlfriend’s two children.
Daybell was charged with first-degree murder, conspiracy to commit murder, grand theft and insurance fraud in the deaths. He faces the death penalty, according to CNN.
The case was surrounded by “power, sex, money and apocalyptic spiritual beliefs,” according to CNN.
He was charged in connection with the deaths of Lori Vallow Daybell’s two youngest children, Joshua “JJ” Vallow, 7 and Tylee Ryan, 16, in Sept. 2019, according to The Associated Press. He was also charged in connection with the death of his first wife, Tammy Daybell in Oct. 2019.
[ Chad Daybell trial: Triple-murder stemmed from want of ‘sex, money and power,’ prosecutor says ]
Authorities found the bodies of Vallow Daybell’s children, 16-year-old Tylee Ryan and 7-year-old Joshua Jaxon “JJ” Vallow, buried on property owned by Chad Daybell one year after they were last seen in 2019. His first wife, Tammy Daybell, died in the same year the children vanished.
Seventeen days after Tammy Daybell’s death, Chad Daybell and Vallow Daybell got married, officials said.
Chad Daybell pleaded not guilty to the charges. His attorneys argued that there was not much evidence to tie him to the murders. According to the AP, his attorneys tried to suggest that Vallow Daybell’s brother, Alex Cox was the one who did.
[ Lori Vallow Daybell sentenced to life in prison for deaths of her 2 children, husband’s former wife ]
Last year, a judge sentenced Vallow Daybell to three consecutive life sentences after a jury convicted her of murdering Tylee and JJ and conspiring to murder Tammy Daybell. She has appealed her conviction to the Idaho Supreme Court, CNN reported.